Radar's Merry
by Fawn Hickory
Summary: Radar is smitten with a new nurse. Will they hit it off?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all, back again. I think Radar needs some romance, so I started this story. I know what I want to happen, so hopefully I can get it done pretty soon. **

The sun shone on her brown hair, lighting up the coppery highlights. She smiled at him, a big, open smile full of innocence and curiosity. She was brand new, hadn't even changed out of her Class A's yet, and Radar O'Reilly was carrying her bags to the nurse's tent. Halfway there he stumbled over a rock because he couldn't stop glancing over at her, wanting to just watch her.

She was short, shorter than he and her uniform was full in all the right places. She'd introduced herself as Lieutenant Merry Higgins, brand new in Korea and ready to assist the finest surgeons in the Asian theater. Radar thought she was exquisite.

Three hours later, after a tour and lecture on procedure by her new head nurse, Merry found her way to the Mess Tent. Coffee was on her mind, and just as she was getting her cup, a hand covered hers. "Let me."

"Oh, thank you." She smiled at the young man, noting with a bit of amusement that he'd changed out of the rumpled green fatigues he'd been wearing earlier and into a more dressy tan uniform. Not Class A's, but definitely dressier. She'd seen the look when he met her, she knew he was attracted to her.

With that in mind, she studied him. He was short, not much taller than she, and he was almost child-like, but she could see in him a character that she thought she could admire. He was the company clerk, she knew, and so he was responsible for keeping the place running. As young as he may look, if he had that responsibility he must be mature.

He filled her coffee cup and handed it to her, then gestured to a table. "May I sit with you?"

Smiling, she nodded.

"So," he said, letting her sit first, "Where are you from?"

"Pepin, Wisconsin. Little town, no one there, but have you ever read the Little House on the Prairie books?"

"Yes, when I was in grade school."

"The author was born there. It talks about Pepin in Little House in the Big Woods."

"Your town is famous." Radar looked genuinely interested. He was leaning forward, his own coffee cup sitting forgotten on the table in front of him.

"Well sort of. I wrote her, Laura, a letter when I was a girl and she wrote back to me. I still have it. She said she was glad that someone from the town she was born near enjoyed her books so much." Merry's voice was full of excitement, it was as though she'd just received the letter, and her eyes, big and smoky green, were alight with her memories.

"I remember reading about the blizzards and thinking about how scary it must be to go out and not know if you can find the house again," Radar commented. He could feel her passion and excitment and it left him feeling slightly, deliciously lightheaded. His body knew what passion was, though it wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

"I know! Just think of being cooped inside all winter long..."

They sat there talking as time ticked by. Her hometown and love of books gave way to talk about his hometown and his animals, and they would have went on longer but for the announcement over the loudspeaker. "Attention all personnel, incoming wounded! All medical staff report for triage and surgery."

Leaving their coffee cups sitting, they dashed out the door.

**Much as I wish I did, I don't own M*A*S*H.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two. Hope everyone likes it!**

Dawn was creeping over Korea when the last patient was closed and sent off to Post-Op. Coffee had been flowing, but after a while nothing can mask the effects of exhaustion mixed with horror, the usual feeling a session of surgery at a M*A*S*H gave a person.

And that was when you were used to it.

Merry Higgins, formerly of a small town and accustomed to automobile accidents as the worst kind of trauma she witnessed, was not used to it.

Still, she preformed admirably in the OR, taking no more breaks than the other nurses, handing her surgeon the tool he asked for with precision and confidence. Hawkeye was impressed, and though she wouldn't admit it, so was Margaret.

It was afterward, in a little corner away from the main compound, that Hawkeye found her. She was on a crate, staring into a handkerchief. She had been crying, but now her eyes were dry and blank. It was a look he knew, a look that many medical personnel had after witnessing too much.

"You did great in there," he said, sitting down next to her.

She started, looking up at him with surprise. "Oh, doctor. It was nothing, just my job."

"Yeah it's your job but it's your first day and you did better than I did my first time. Buy you a drink?"

Merry sighed, about to refuse, then nodded. "Yes, I think I would like that."

A while later, back in the Swamp, Merry sat sipping a martini, making a face at every swallow but not putting down the glass. "My daddy could strip paint with this."

Hawkeye grinned. "Shh, that's a secret ingredient!"

"Hey, Hawk, here's you mail-" Radar said, coming into the tent. He froze when he saw Merry. "Hi," he said.

She smiled, the first real smile that Hawkeye had seen from her. He took in the way Radar was looking at her and had private little chuckle. He'd been considering making a play for the pretty little nurse, but he could see that he'd gotten to the game too late.

"Thank you Radar," Hawkeye said, accepting the letter Radar was holding. "Have you met Nurse Higgins?"

"Oh, yes."

Merry nodded. "We had coffee together in the Mess Tent yesterday."

"Ah-ha, coffee. Radar, you little devil."

"Aw go on!" Radar was blushing.

"Thank you for the drink, doctor, but I think I had better go and get freshened up. That was a long night." Merry was aware of Radar's discomfort, but she already liked him and wished to spare him as much as she could. She wasn't sure what the doctor would do if he thought there was something going on, but she had heard that sometimes the brass could be pretty hardnosed to the enlisted.

"It was lovely having you, if you ever have any paint that needs removed, just call me." Hawkeye chuckled again at the confusion on Radar's face, and Merry laughed.

"Good-bye. Good-bye, Radar." She left.

"Radar! You little Casanova! Her first day and you already made your move." Hawkeye said, laughing, as soon as Merry was out of earshot.

Radar shrugged. Now that she was gone, he didn't mind discussing things with Hawkeye, in fact he's come to him for advice in the past. But he felt the need to keep certain things private, even though nothing had really happened. He liked Merry, more than he thought he could like a girl he'd only had coffee with. And he hoped she liked him.

"Well don't worry, your secret is safe with me. She is quite the little dish though, I must say."

"Cut it out!"

"Hey, hey, just making an observation. So, you planning on asking her out?"

Radar considered it. He wanted to, but Korea didn't have many date-night attractions. "Maybe I'll see if she want's to go to the movie."

"Great idea. Go get'em, Tiger."

Radar was looking in the direction Merry had gone. He sighed and asked, "Do you think she might really like me?"

Hawkeye put his arm around Radar's shoulders. "Did you see the way she lit up when you came in?"

"She did?"

"Yep. Radar, she did. Now, why don't you get her something special to eat and go on over and ask her to breakfast?"

Radar looked thoughtful. That sounded pretty good. And he knew just where to get a few special eats.

"Great idea, thanks Hawkeye." He grinned up at the taller man and left.

Hawkeye smiled to himself as he watched Radar heading across the compound. The bounce in the step, the little tune he was whistling, it was plain to see. Radar had it bad.


End file.
